Just before the official opening of beach season on Memorial Day weekend, two popular Delaware beach motels in bankruptcy were recently sold for $3.8 million.

SeaEsta III and SeaEsta IV in Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach, respectively, sold to Forgotten Mile LLC of Newport, Del., officials at at auction Sperry Van Ness – Miller Commercial Real Estate in Salisbury said Friday.

The motels, owned by Ocean Breeze LLC, had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in January 2012. Since then, the motels had operated under the management of Salisbury-based Marshall Hotels and Resorts Co.

SeaEsta III is located on U.S. Route 1 in Dewey Beach and SeaEsta IV is located just south of Rehoboth Beach.

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It’s always interesting when a package addressed to a reporter shows up in the newsroom’s mail drop-off. The boxes are usually sent from public relations departments and include all manner of tchotchkes and curios somehow related to a news announcement but designed to pique our interest.

Past treasures have included flower-printed muumuus, sponge hair curlers and unidentifiable edible treats.

On Wednesday, I received a shopping cart.

Not a full-blown, play-bumper-carts-with-your-colleagues-size shopping cart, but one that would be just right for, say, an American Girl doll. (I put a box of tissues next to it in the picture to give you a frame of reference for its size.)

Graciously sent by the folks at Food Lion, a North Carolina-based grocer with supermarkets in 10 states, the mini yet fully functional cart symbolizes the changes being unveiled at the company’s 178 mid-Atlantic stores, which includes a broader selection of fresh produce, lower prices on 6,000 items, more store-brand products and — you guessed it — new shopping carts.

Was sending the cart a bit tacky? Yes. Gimmicky? Absolutely, but it got me to read the accompanying press release and now you’re thinking about Food Lion.

The poor rattling thing must have been tired from its long, bumpy ride —no bubble wrap! — but it’s been the center of attention all day. It’s carried messages from cubicle to cubicle. It’s been picked, prodded and marveled at. It almost took a tumble down the stairs.

But beyond the novelty factor, what could this noisy, steel contraption possibly be worth?

THAT’S WHERE YOU COME IN!

I am officially putting out a Request for Proposals. In the comment section, post your ideas for other possible uses for the cart.

(The creative juices are already flowing in The Daily Record newsroom. Editor Barbara Grzincic suggested turning it into a movable planter box that could be rolled to the perfect sunny spot spot throughout the day. Reporter Melody Simmons suggested using the cart as a fruit bowl on the counter — tres industrial chic!)

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The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) announced 23 finalists on Wednesday for the 13^th Annual Maryland Incubator Company of the Year awards, which recognize notable firms that are either currently working out of an incubator in the state or have recently graduated from one.

The Emerging Technology Center in Canton is the leading mother hen, with the most “eggs” named as finalists.  Five companies from the ETC, which is part of the Baltimore Development Corp., made the list. Next in line is bwtech@UMBC, the incubator housed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which produced four finalists.

Winners will be announced June 13 at a ceremony at the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore.

The finalists are:

From Betamore in Federal Hill:

• Riskive

From the Bethesda Green Business Incubator (BGBI):

• Savenia Labs

From the Bowie Business Innovation Center (BBIC):

• Vertical Wind Ventures LLC

From bwtech@UMBC at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County:

• Blue Wave Semiconductors Inc.
• KoolSpan
• Light Point Security
• Plasmonix Inc.

From the Emerging Technology Center (ETC) in Canton:

• ADASHI Systems
• Boss Medical LLC
• Curiosityville
• Rehabtics
• Foodem.com / RKA Enterprises LLC

From FastForward at Johns Hopkins University:

• Clear Guide Medical

From Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITC) in Frederick:

• Mosaic Power (also worked out of the MCE)

From Garrett Information Enterprise Center (GIEC):

• GCC Technologies LLC

From the Germantown Innovation Center (GIC):

• Biologics Resources LLC
• DSPlogic Inc.

From the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship (MCE) in Columbia:

• Social Growth Technologies, Inc.
• Unbound Concepts Inc.
• Vasoptic Medical Inc.

From the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH) at the University of Maryland, College Park:

• Maryland Energy and Sensor Technologies LLC

From Shady Grove Innovation Center (SGIC) in Rockville:

• Creatv MicroTech Inc.

From the Silver Spring Innovation Center (SSIC):

• SOL VISTA

Visit mdincubatoraward.com for more information.

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The property management and brokerage groups of Manekin LLC will merge with Columbia-based Colliers International, officials of the companies said Wednesday.

The commercial real estate companies said the merger will blend 17 million square feet of managed properties to the region. The new entity will be called Colliers International | Baltimore and will unite more than 40 employees in Manekin’s property management and brokerage groups with more than 80 Colliers employees.

Manekin principals Richard Alter and Cole Schnorf will become equal partners in the combined management company.

“My partners and I have admired the principals and leaders of Manekin for many years. Many of our partners and associates have had great success working with the Manekin principals,” said Timothy R. Hearn, CEO of Colliers International | Baltimore, in a statement. “The opportunity to grow our management company by 10 million square feet, expand our brokerage team, and add 40 valuable employees is not an opportunity that comes around very often.”

Manekin was founded in 1946. CEO Richard Alter will continue in his position.

“Manekin is excited about the opportunity to associate with an international company that also provides for local leadership,” Alter said, in a statement. “The opportunities that Colliers can provide our employees, in terms of educational and professional development and access to an expanded geographic platform with 1.25 billion square feet under management globally, is outstanding.”

The Manekin company’s development and construction divisions are not a part of the merger.

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Kate Boyle Taylor, left, and Joy Robinson Singer, co-owners of The Hot Air Blow Dry Bar (Photo provided)

Does your hair need a pit stop?

A new hair boutique opened this month in the Valley Village Shoppes in Owings Mills offering a 45-minute mane tune-up. The Hot Air Blow Dry Bar is being promoted as a “new concept hair boutique” centered on the holy trinity of good looks: a wash, dry and style.

The service costs $35 for women and $25 for men and children. The quick-fix salon concept has been popular in other cities like Washington, New York and Los Angeles, said owners Joy Robinson Singer and Kate Boyle Taylor. Extras, such as party packages, are also available.

The salon is located at 9101 Reisterstown Road.

In a statement, Singer said she and Taylor discovered the concept while in California for their best friend’s wedding.

“The experience was so terrific and different, including the serving of wine and coffee that we decided to bring this idea back to our home town,” Singer said. “It is specifically designed for the modern-day woman that doesn’t always have the time or money to invest in an expensive hair salon. They want their hair to look great or different because of a special event or weekly maintenance, and we offer an affordable solution.”

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While the Maryland men’s basketball team will not be playing in the NCAA Tournament, the 370 members of NAIOP Maryland will be shooting for their One Shining Moment.

The state chapter of the commercial real estate trade group will hold its annual March Madness networking party on Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. at the Townhouse Kitchen and Bar, located on 1350 Lancaster St. in Baltimore.

The party is open to members and non-members and tickets are $65 per person for hors d’oeuvres, drinks, door prizes and a mini bracketology contest.

Is your company or organization doing anything connected with the NCAA Tournament? Let us know in the comments section.

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Marissa Mayer wants you at your desk at the office. The Yahoo CEO has declared an end to telecommuting at the Internet company.

A memo to employees says Yahoo needs “the interactions and experiences that are only possible in our offices” and “speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.” The conclusion: “We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together.”

(And who among us has not been in an office with at least one yahoo?)

Mayer assumed the CEO post when she was five months pregnant, then took just two weeks of maternity leave. She has built a nursery next to her office — out of her own pocket — so she can work longer.

And for at least one critic of Mayer’s edict — and there are many — that may be part of the problem. “It’s myopic, unfriendly, and so boneheaded that I worry it’s the product of spending too much time at the office,” writes Farhad Manjoo at Slate.

On the other hand, Donald Trump gives Mayer the thumbs-up. “She is doing a great job!” Trump tweeted.

And just so you know, I posted this while at my desk at The Daily Record.

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What do you get when you cross Restaurant Week with a flash mob? A food fight would be a good guess (with enormous fun potential) but the correct answer is slightly more innovative.

Say hello to Dish Mob, a collaboration between Restaurant.com, a site that offers deals on dining, and Cash Mob, a national campaign to encourage support of locally-owned businesses. Cash Mobs have been organized in dozens of cities nationwide, aiming to push as many people as possible into the small shops located in that community.

Organizers are hosting five Dish Mobs — the dining version of Cash Mobs — across the country from Wednesday through March 1. The campaign hits Baltimore on Feb. 26 for a Dish Mob at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, at 6526 Holabird Ave. in Baltimore, co-hosted by local blogger Maggie Miller of Family Frugal Fun.

Katie O’Connor, events coordinator at Jimmy’s, said Miller and several other bloggers are scheduled to arrive around 10:30 a.m. to sample several appetizers: crab balls, coconut shrimp, stuffed mushroom caps and mozzarella sticks.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Betamore’s co-founders, Mike Brenner and Greg Cangialosi, in their incubator facility. (File photo)

Betamore — Baltimore’s newest “urban campus for technology and entrepreneurship”— has been bustling with activity since opening in December in Federal Hill.

Dozens of techies, designers and entrepreneurs have signed up as Betamore members, while the center’s business incubation services have attracted more than a dozen startup companies. Last month, Gov. Martin O’Malley chose the facility, at 1111 Light St., as the launch space for the state’s new-and-improved online business licensing system.

Plus, organizers said they are moving ever closer to realizing their ultimate vision for the center. They plan to roll out series of classes this month on topics of interest to members, like the basics of coding or how to find funding for new ventures. By March 1, they hope to average four-to-six classes and workshops a week.

The educational component is what differentiates Betamore from similar co-working spaces throughout the city, said co-founders Mike Brenner and Greg Cangialosi, and it’s what makes the center more than just a business incubator.

In addition to providing desk space for startup entrepreneurs and discounted programs for paying members, Betamore is designed to encourage meaningful interaction and collaboration among members of the community who occasionally choose to stop by.

On Monday night, they will host “The Rise of the Angels (And the Entrepreneurs),” a session on how the process of financing a startup company has changed. The talk will be led by Paul Singh, a partner at 500 Startups, a “super angel” fund based in Mountain View, Calif.

Singh will discuss “the tangible factors and economics of early stage financings around the world,” and share helpful hints and strategies. The event — which targets startup entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and angel investors— is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and costs $15 for non-members (Betamore members get in for free).

Some classes, like the one on Monday, will be taught by well-known industry players. But organizers said they also want Baltimore-bred professionals to be the ones at the front of the classroom sharing their expertise with their neighbors.

The following week, though, that teacher might take on the role of student by enrolling in a peer’s class — that’s the vision.

And if Betamore maintains the progress of the past two months, that vision might very well materialize sooner rather than later.

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Cannery workers, bartenders in hole-in-the-wall taverns, employees of movie and drive-in theaters, oldsters who work less than 25 hours a week … know what they’ve got in common?

All are exempt from Maryland’s minimum wage laws.

An organization called Raise Maryland is rallying in Annapolis this morning to launch a campaign to raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10. But a surprising number of people aren’t covered by it anyway. That includes kids under 16 who work less than 20 hours a week. And people who work for organized camps, which probably means you won’t make your fortune as a counselor this summer.

Then there’s a whole category of workers who are subject to minimum wage but not to the overtime provisions (time-and-a-half for 40-plus hours a week): gas station employees; people who work at “a bona fide private country club” (goodness, wonder how that one slipped in there?); those who operate a “musical pavilion”; used-car salesmen (must be a strong dealers’ lobby in Annapolis) and cab drivers.

Don’t even get me started on “employees of bowling establishments.”

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